


(Not) Alone

by waypoint



Series: Together [1]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-21 18:03:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8255245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waypoint/pseuds/waypoint
Summary: Root is taken to the hospital after being shot by Jeff Blackwell





	

**Author's Note:**

> Another small insert for 5x10. Anyone else have a love-hate relationship with that episode?
> 
> Enjoy

“Root, put your gun down,” Harold ordered gently. He noticed how labored her breathing had become and turned to her.

 

“Root?”

 

She didn't respond. She struggled to keep her eyes open and rested her head against the seat of the car. All of the background noise was fading away. A policeman was speaking to her, touching her face, trying to see if she was responsive.

 

Eventually everything completely melts away, and she slips into unconsciousness.

 

 

/

 

 

The first time Root wakes up, she's in the ambulance.

 

Her eyes flutter open, but she struggles to keep them that way. Her body is burning with pain, yet she feels a coldness sneaking into her limbs. She tries to look around her. Her vision is blurred. Paramedics are holding on to her, speaking with one another, trying to keep her stable. One of them is holding a mask on her face. She can feel the pressure on her abdomen, and can only imagine what damage the sniper shot had done.

 

There are lights all around her. So bright. Too bright. She can barely see anything else.

 

One medic notices she's awake and puts his hand on her shoulder. His mouth moves, but Root can't hear. Her ears are ringing. All that she can hear among the white noise is her own strained breathing.

 

Root cannot win the battle to keep her eyes open, and falls unconscious once again.

 

 

/

 

 

The second time Root wakes up, she is aware enough to know that she is no longer in the ambulance, but in the hospital.

 

She looks around her again. Doctors, nurses, lights. Why were they always so bright? A nearby machine is beeping. It's erratic, uneven, fast.

 

Her body begins to feel heavy, and she can no longer feel the pain in her abdomen, only numbness. She's dizzy, disoriented, and...

 

Afraid.

 

Early today, she spoke of belonging.

 

Moments ago, (it was just a moment ago, wasn't it?) she spoke to her love about metaphysics. Shapes.

 

Now she's helpless, dying.

 

She feels a chill crawling into her body. The beeping becomes louder, alarming. Doctors are shouting and moving about quickly. She hears them, but the words are muffled, unclear.

 

The noise around her begins to quiet down. Everyone around her seems to be moving in slow motion. Soon, the only sound left is her struggling heart and breath.  She felt as if she was losing control of something that is so very fundamental. Her whole world was falling away, becoming a hush. A whisper.

 

She wanted to fight, to beat the odds one final time, and return triumphant to the war she desperately wanted to win. But her body was too weak, the damage must have been too great. She felt tired. The hands of sleep pulling her away from her body.

 

After years of being alone, she had finally found a home. A place in the world where she belonged; a _person_ with whom she belonged. How cruel that she was alone once again; isolated in her final moments. It broke her heart.

 

She hoped Shaw would know her last thoughts were of her.

 

She closed her eyes, and succumbed to the darkness.

 

 

/

 

 

“ _Hey, you aren't supposed to be in here!”_

 

 

/

 

The third time Root wakes up, she is confused. At first, she thinks that she must be dead. Her eyelids were heavy and she still feels numb, but peaceful at the same time.

 

She can hear a gentle, even beeping coming from a nearby machine. Other than that, all the previous noises had gone away.  She attempts to move, and a ragged sigh escapes her, muffled by the oxygen mask she's still wearing.

 

A figure to her left moves to stand over her. Root recognizes them, of course. But it's impossible. It's...

 

“Root,” Shaw sighs, relieved.

 

Root blinks several times attempting to clear the fogginess from her vision. Tears are filling her already clouded eyes.  She is in awe of the woman with her, as she always was.  She wants to reply, but she can only manage a raspy word:

 

" _Sameen_..."

 

Shaw is shaking her head,  “just sleep. You're okay.”

 

Shaw strokes the hair on Root's head, smoothing it down. Gentle, comforting...

 

And so undeniably real.

 

“I'm not going to leave you.”

 

She wonders if Shaw can see her smile from under the mask. She no longer fights the exhaustion, and closes her eyes yet again. This time she is truly at peace. She takes comfort in knowing that Shaw is there now, and will be there when she wakes up again.

 

Samantha Groves may have died alone, but Root was alive, and she would never be alone again.

 


End file.
